


The Uncut Hair of Graves

by Meh_forget_it



Series: Song of Myself Series [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Gen, Necromancer Harry, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3443432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meh_forget_it/pseuds/Meh_forget_it
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of oneshots related to The Bitter Hug of Mortality. Set both before and during the actual fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Uncut Hair of Graves

**Author's Note:**

> So, sometimes I get the odd review asking me about things Harry has mentioned in Bitter Hug, that led me to this. I decided to write random one shots about things that either happened in before Harry met Voldemort or moments that happened from another characters point of view.
> 
> And if you were wondering about the title of the collection and the titles of the one shots (and Bitter Hug), they're all lines from the poem Song of Myself by Walt Whitman. Fair warning, it's bloody long.

_Summary: Harry was eleven when he first performed a ritual for Lord Beli._

Uncut Hair of Graves

Harry quietly and cautiously followed Ignotus to a cemetery that the spirit had promised him would be empty and the perfect place for him to perform his first ritual.

"Um… isn't this private land?" Harry asked cautiously, nibbling on his lip as he awkwardly climbed over the crumbling, run down stone wall edging the property.

 _"Technically, yes. But you're a necromancer and in the laws of old, necromancers are allowed free access to any and all places of rest,"_ Ignotus told him, leading him a bit further through the graves before coming to a stop before what Harry could feel were the newest - though that wasn't saying much as they were still about fifty years old.

"Right. Laws of old. Um… wouldn't these laws no longer be in effect? I mean, we don't actually exist anymore, do we?" Harry asked, even as he took in the somewhat intimidating headstone looming over him.

_"You would be proof that we do exist. Besides, no one alive owns this land anymore. Well, no one… with a physical body at least. My point is, no one will complain about your use of this cemetery and you are less likely to be interrupted here than you are at the church graveyard."_

"Okay… what are we doing for the ritual today then?"

_"It's not complicated. Nor will it be painful in any way. All you really have to do for this one is sit down and finally connect your own death energy to the natural death energy flowing through the earth. And possibly give thanks to Our Lord for His gift to you."_

"Will I get to meet Him?" Harry asked, looking both excited and terrified at the thought of meeting his hero - which according to his aunt was possibly a little strange to idolise Death, but no stranger than speaking to the dead.

 _"It is doubtful. So? What are you waiting for? Lughnasadh doesn't last forever,"_ Ignotus informed him impatiently, getting a shy, sheepish grin from Harry in return before he sat down in front of the grave and then tried to find the energy running through his veins.

After a few minutes with no results, Harry huffed and looked up at Ignotus with a pitiful look on his face. "I can't do it! Maybe you're wrong and I'm not a necromancer."

_"If that's true, then that is the least of your worries, because that would also mean I'm a figment of your imagination. Now, stop being ridiculous. You just need to give yourself more time than it takes to brew a proper cup of tea."_

"Green or black?"

_"Pardon?"_

"Well, Aunty Sylv said that you should leave black tea to brew for three minutes, but only two minutes for green tea."

 _"Does it matter? You need to give yourself longer than either. I realise that it's hard for your to sit still for longer than two minutes, but at least try,"_ Ignotus told him with a sigh, shaking his head and muttering under his breath about annoying children.

Harry just looked up at him for a second before he shrugged and looked at the grave in front of him. Frowning and nibbling on his lip once more, he tightly shut his eyes and forced his mind not to wander to what kind of cake his aunt would be teaching him to bake that night.

Which proved to be his undoing, because as soon as his mind told him _not_ to think of it, it automatically thought about it. For the next five minutes, Harry sat with his eyes shut, imagining several different kinds of cakes and hoped that what they made would have cherries included. He really liked cherries. Black cherries especially.

 _"Whatever you're thinking about, it is not what you should be thinking about."_ Ignotus' sharp reprimand jerked Harry out of his cherry clafoutis daydream and he guiltily opened his eyes and sheepishly looked up at Ignotus.

"Sorry."

_"You're young. I can only hope you'll become better at focusing as you grow older. Perhaps it would help if you anchored yourself with the dirt. Dig your fingers into it."_

"Okay. Right." Harry nodded, then did as Ignotus suggested. This time it was more successful, and after a few minutes, Harry finally sensed a slow trickle of energy flowing around his body, filling him with a contradiction of warmth and cold, but also an unending sense of safety. Feeling all of this was somewhat overwhelming, and Harry couldn't stop his awed gasp even if he had wanted to.

_"You've finally sensed it then? Good, now I need you to concentrate on a similar feeling flowing through the earth around your fingers. Once you've sensed that, accept it into yourself."_

Harry concentrated on doing exactly what Ignotus told him to do, taking a little longer sensing the energy in the ground than he had hoped, but finally feeling it. He then felt his own energy almost reaching out and playfully tugging at the natural energy. This made it much easier to accept it into himself.

When he did, he felt it fun quickly through his whole body, energising him and - though he couldn't see it - his hair sticking out from his head like he'd just touched a live wire.

_"Now, just pull back from this gently, and you should be done."_

Harry did that and then opened his eyes, blinking a little at the bright light before looking up at Ignotus with a wide grin on his face.

"That was awesome." 

_"Glad you thought so. Now, don't forget to thank Our Lord for His gift."_

Harry nodded, then paused and looked up at Ignotus with a shy grin on his face. "I made Him something. Should I leave it here for Him?"

_"You… what? No, actually, why?"_

"Why not? Everyone likes getting presents, right? I thought He would like one as well. Only, I didn't have any money, so Aunty Sylv helped me make him a friendship bracelet. Look!" Harry exclaimed excitedly, fidgeting a little to reach into his pocket and pulled out a thin, blue and gold woven thread bracelet that was clearly handmade by someone not an expert in making friendship bracelets. Or someone with no thumbs as his aunt had said.

_"And you want to give that to Our Lord? Death?!"_

"Yeah! I made it for Him, why would I give it to someone else?" Harry asked, head tilting to the side as he looked up at Ignotus with wide eyes. Ignotus just stared back at him before he sighed and shook his head.

 _"Fine. Feel for your energy, thank Our Lord and then leave the bracelet on the gravestone. He may come and collect it, but He may also not. We'll never know,"_ Ignotus told him. Harry just nodded and did as he was told, before carefully leaving the bracelet on the scythe of the gravestone.

"Come on then, let's get back! Hopefully Aunty Sylv will teach me to make cherry clafoutis. I like cherries! Did you like cherries when you were alive? Did they _have_ cherries when you were alive?"

* * *

As the sun set over the empty, abandoned cemetery; a short male figure with cropped black hair, wearing short wrap around his waist walked over to a large and intimidating headstone depicting an angel of death and gently took something from the scythe.

The man looked at the thin, childishly made bracelet in his hand with a soft smile on his face, before he carefully tied it tightly around his wrist with a soft shake of his head.

"For all the millennia I have been around, this is my first gift where the recipient expected nothing in return," the man mused aloud, still smiling softly as he stared at the bracelet. "Yes, I was definitely right in choosing you, my little necromancer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So, this is the first one! I just wanted to show people how Harry has endeared himself so much to Death and if you're wondering, yes, He does still have that bracelet.
> 
> If anyone has anything they'd like me to write a one shot of, let me know and I'll try and write it! And when I say anything, I do mean in relation to The Bitter Hug. Let's not get too random now.
> 
> With regards to the main fic, I have now planned up to Chapter 21 (I also know how it's going to end) and hopefully the next chapter will be out next week. Hopefully. Not Wednesday though because that is my Goddaughter's birthday so I'll be busy all day!


	2. If You Tire, Give Me Both Burdens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Harry went to live with Aunty Sylv, he had Charlus and they both made it their mission to make as much mischief as possible. With help from the dead.

 

If You Tire, Give Me Both Burdens

* * *

"Charwee, Ig said we shouldn' weally be making potions." Charlus looked up from the cauldron he was vigorously stirring, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, to see his tiny baby brother's big black eyes and button nose peering over the opposite side of the desk he was working on - he'd found a stool to stand on, Harry still wasn't actually tall enough even  _with_  a stool.

"But Harry," Charlus said, with all the patience of a five year old older brother - that is to say, none, " _Ig_  was the one who told us how to get in here! Now, go fetch the er…"

"Fwitterbug wings? I like fwitterbugs," Harry added, big eyes blinking trustingly up at Charlus, who consulted the book next to him - pretending to read the ingredients - and deciding that flitterbug wings couldn't hurt.

"Yeah, okay. And nettles! We should make it green!"

"I like gween!" Harry agreed happily, carefully wiggling his way off the stool and then walking over to the shelves. Harry nibbled on his lip for a minute as he looked at the jars that he could reach, and grabbed two that looked like they might be what Charlus asked for. Well, one was green and the other  _looked_  like wings. "Heeah you go, Charwee."

"Thanks!" Charlus said, opening the jars and looking at what Harry had given him before shrugging and just throwing the contents into the already bubbling potion. As soon as the two ingredients hit the cauldron, the potion began to bubble more furiously. "Uh oh."

"Charwee?"

"I think we should run," Charlus said, carefully - but with haste - climbing off the stool and then grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him out of the room. Just as Charlus and Harry stumbled out of the door, there was an almighty bang from the room they'd left - almost shaking the house to its foundations and making Harry and Charlus fall to the ground with the force of the shockwave.

"Ig said we should wait until we can wead pwoperwee," Harry mumbled from underneath Charlus.

"I agree."

"Cad said we should run coz mummy is on her way heeah."

"I agree with that too."

* * *

"Can't you just ask Aunty Cass if she sees us getting out of it?" Charlus whispered, looking to the side to where Harry was lying on his stomach next to him, both hiding under a bed in one of the numerous spare rooms of Potter Manor.

"She told me there's no way out of it," Harry whispered back, placing his hands in front of his mouth in the childish belief it would make him even quieter.

"What about if-"

"She says no."

"But I don't want to go to the Weasley's!" Charlus whispered furiously, scowling and ignoring the muffled giggles coming from Harry.

"You just don't want to face the twins after you locked them in the toilet with Tel," Harry said through his giggles.

"Me?! You were the one who told me to do it! They're going to want to get back at you too!"

"Nuh uh! I heard Mrs Weasley tell them they couldn't pick on me because I don't have magic and can't stick up for myself," Harry whispered back, before frowning and looking at Charlus in confusion. "Why can't I stick up for myself?"

"I don't know. Don't see why you need magic. You've got Uncle Ig and Aunty Cass to help you."

"Charlus James and Harry John Potter! Where are you? Mrs Weasley is expecting us any minute now! Get down here right now, you two!" Harry and Charlus glanced at one another at the sound of their mother's furious yells, and shrugged.

"Think she'd forgive us if we stayed here?" Charlus asked, looking at Harry who glanced to the side for a second before turning back to Charlus.

"Aunty Cass says she probably will eventually," Harry told him unhappily, getting an equally unhappy sigh from Charlus.

"Guess we'd better go down then," Charlus mumbled, before slowly crawling out from under the bed. Harry pouted slightly before he quickly followed behind his big brother and the two reluctantly made their way to where their mother was waiting for them. "How long is eventually?" Charlus asked just before they left the room, Harry glanced to the side and then shrugged.

"Aunty Cass says she can't be sure and Cad says we should suck it up and head to our doom."

"Our doom?! And it's easy for him to say! He's not the one on the wrong side of the twins."

"Cad says he wouldn't be stupid enough to get on the wrong side of the twins in the first place," Harry added, quite unhelpfully and grinning widely when Charlus scolded at him.

"Your voices aren't helping us, Harry."

"They said they're not meant to help us avoid retri- retro- ret… Cad, I dunno what that means," Harry said with a huff, finally giving up on trying to repeat what Cadmus had told him verbatim. "Oh! Right. They're not meant to help us avoid punishment."

"Tell them they suck."

"They say they can hear you just fine."

"HARRY! CHARLUS! NOW!" Harry and Charlus both flinched and glanced at one another before feeling like heading to the gallows as they left the safety of the room and headed towards their infuriated mother and giggling sisters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So, some people have reviewed to ask about what Harry and Charlus' relationship was like before Harry had to leave, as they were clearly somewhat close. I may add more of these little snippets into their childhood as more ideas come to me. However, this was just to show you that generally, they were little buggers and probably gave Lily and James premature grey hair. *Snickers* Oh, and that Charlus really didn't understand why people seemed to think it was a bad thing that Harry had no magic. 
> 
> Oh! By the way, I er… thought I'd posted this like two weeks ago. *Blushes* Apparently I didn't. Err… whoops? My bad! In my defence though, it's been a hectic few weeks as a friend of mine moved in with me for a while, so I was busy/distracted. Heh. Hopefully I'll be able to get things back on track now! 
> 
> Fact of the oneshot: (refers back to Curious Cures of Old England… yes, that's a real book) In the 17th century, as there were no toothbrushes, teeth cleaning was left to er… professionals (uses the term loosely… as loose as your teeth actually, should you go to one of these professionals). To whiten teeth, they would scrape the teeth and then swab them with aqua fortis. In actual fact this, 'strong water' was actually nitric acid. Nice… In fairness, it probably did make your teeth nice and white the first few times… you know, before it then corroded them away.
> 
> So, anyone got any other ideas of what they would like to see in this selection? Oh, and I'm hoping that the next chapter of the main fic should be up soon enough. Sorry about the wait!
> 
> Oh yes, if you were wondering, the first part their ages are: Charlus - five and Harry - three. The second part, they are eight and seven. If you're sitting there thinking those ages don't add up, the first part was set a couple of weeks before Harry's fourth birthday. *grins*


	3. List of the gods in Bitter Hug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few people have asked for a list of the gods and what they are er... god of, so I've made a list! Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Er... spoilers? Is it technically a spoiler to tell you that there's an upcoming god who you are all aware of and let you know a) his name and b) his er... godly duties... Well, if it is, then there's a spoiler in this. So if you don't like spoilers, maybe wait until I post the next chapter of Bitter Hug. And no, no idea when that will be as I'm currently having RL issues because my soon to be ex step father is a massive cockwomble. I only posted this because I wrote this list for myself when I first started this fic. 
> 
> And selfishly kept it to myself until enough people pointed out that the entirety of my fic is highly confusing. Heh.

 

List of gods in The Bitter Hug (in order of appearance)…  
(Pronunciation of their names is given after each gods designation)

 **Amathaon** \- god of agriculture - The Green Man - (Ah-may-THEE-on)  
**Aeron** \- god of battle and slaughter – (Eye-RON) You'd roll the r in his name. As you would any r in the welsh language.  
**Beli**  - god of darkness and death - (BEH-lee)  
**Don**  - goddess of light- (thON)  
**Dylan**  - god of the sea- (DIH-lun)  
**Mabon**  - god of youth- (May-BON)  
**Modron** \- goddess of fertility - (Moh-THRON)  
**Arawn** \- Lord of Annwfn (which is the underworld, so... not Loki. Sorry to all those who guessed him or the Welsh equivalent) – His name is pronounced (ow-rah-oon), I'll admit, this name is the hardest to explain the pronunciation of, say it fast so it's more like two syllables than three is the best advice I can give – Annwfn is pronounced Ah-new-IN (also, if you're interested, the hellhounds of Annwfn, Cwn Annwfn is prounounced COO-en ah-new-IN)  
**Ceridwen**  - goddess of magic/The Great Mother Magic (Keh-REE-thoo-en) the last two syllables are more like one syllable.

  
Plus, if you'd like to know, the holidays Harry celebrates and their pronunciations are:

 **Lughnasadh (August 1** **st** **)**  - First Harvest, Funeral, Death, Rebirth – (LOO-na-sath)  
**Mabon (September 21** **st** **)**  - Second Harvest, Mysteries, Equality and Balance – (Same as the god)  
**Samhain (October 31** **st** **)** \- Third Harvest, Dark Mysteries, Rebirth through Death – (sah-WIH)  
**Yule (December 21** **st** **)** \- Rebirth of the Sun – (Yew-ELL)

(Harry doesn't celebrate any other pagan holidays, so the first half of his year is rather uneventful. Lol)

  
(and in case anyone was interested, here's the remaining Welsh gods that I didn't use… aren't you all glad that I didn't use even more? Heh.

 **Aranrhod** \- goddess of the sky and fertility – (ah-RAN-roth)  
**Govannon**  - god of skills – (GOH-va-non)  
**Gwydyon**  - Warrior god of magic, poetry and magic (this would be the Welsh Loki, I believe.) – (GWIH-dee-on)  
**Lleu**  - god of the sun – (hlay)  
**Llyr**  - god of the sea, magic and healing) – (hleer)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were supposed to be pictures, but I'm ridiculously computer illiterate (seriously, be thankful I ever worked out how to post anything...) so there's no pictures. Yeah... sorry.


	4. A Child As Well As A Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - This is what happens when I watch The Mummy whilst writing the next chapter to Bitter Hug. Just be aware, this isn't exactly er… canon to the story. There aren't any spoilers because it's doubtful this would have happened. However, if you'd like to think the gods and Harry had a regular movie night, then feel free! *Snort*

  
A Child As Well As A Man

It was as he was looking around his small living room that was currently full of ancient gods and goddesses, and the odd spirit of his deceased relatives that Harry had the thought that perhaps his life wasn't quite as normal as he'd once hoped it would be.

Of course, were his life normal, then he wouldn't currently be in the position he was in and quite frankly he wouldn't give this up for all the gold in the world.

"Why are we watching this travesty of a movie! This would never happen! I would never give up my armies to some… some… two-bit wrestler!" Harry stared at Beli with wide eyes as the affronted god waved his arms around and occasionally pointed at the TV screen. Harry grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl when Mabon handed it to him and then passed the bowl on to Don, all without taking his eyes of the three arguing gods in front of him.

"Technically the actor was a wrestler but the actual character probably didn't wrestle anyone," Arawn pointed out, though he too looked a little disgruntled by the whole thing. "And, technically, wasn't I Anubis?"

"No, you were Osiris," Beli waved off, turning back to face a widely grinning Amatheon. Harry fidgeted a little in his seat and just had to speak up. Really, gods who didn't even know their Egyptian counterparts? What was the world coming to?

"Technically, Lord Beli is right. But well, given your actual roles, the names are inter-changeable. Lord Beli, after all, doesn't have any say in the resurrection of souls, but He is the God of Death. In simple terms though, Lord Beli would be Anubis and Lord Arawn would be Osiris," Harry pointed out; blushing lightly when he realised everyone was staring at him.

Lord Beli just smirked at him before turning once more to pin Amatheon with a glare, which was just returned with a smirk that infuriated Beli even more.

"Why are we watching this film?! None of it makes sense! Neither Arawn nor myself would ever allow any mere mortal to use our armies! Especially not for the payment of just one bloody soul!" Beli shouted, clearly getting more and more angry at Amatheon's lack of remorse over his pick of a movie. Harry silently thought to himself that Amatheon was probably going to be restricted movie picking rights for the next millennia at this rate.

"And don't even get me started on how easily all these mummies are being brought back to life. What, did I leave my gates open?" Arawn asked, glaring at the TV as though it personally had suggested such a thing.

"Look, why don't we just watch it? It's a good film!"

"No! No it's not! It's a blood insult, is what it is!"

"Oh and forgetful talking trees wasn't insulting to me!"

"Lord of the Rings has nothing to do with you!"

"I would never make trees so forgetful!"

"And I would never let someone raise the dead so easily!"

Harry sighed to himself as he took another handful of popcorn from the passing bowl, wondering if there was ever going to be a movie they could watch that wouldn't insult one of the tetchy deities of the group. Really, it was actually getting ridiculous just how much offence one group could take from a couple of movies.

Really, It was just a blessing in disguise that Aeron found the three arguing gods so amusing that he wasn't picking faults with the movies lack of blood and battle style for once.

"You've got to admit though, that Medjai bloke is quite attractive," Harry muttered to Mabon, who gave a small nod. Sadly, Harry's mutter wasn't quite quiet enough that it wasn't heard by the three arguing gods who all quickly spun to stare at Harry in horror.

"WHAT?!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Seriously, don't ask. I have no idea where this came from other than the thought as I was watching the films of 'I wonder how Beli would take this'. It then evolved as Quite frankly, who would you class Beli and Arawn as? Because technically Osiris is both the God of Death and God of the Underworld. But then Anubis was the god of the dead and embalming or whatever. So… yeah. I can totally see Beli and Arawn forgetting just who exactly they said they were back in Ancient Egyptian times and arguing about it all the time. *Snickers* 
> 
> Anyway… yeah. Hope you enjoyed this little foray into the mental madness that is my mind. Let me know what you think and I hope everyone has a better 2017 than 2016 was! 
> 
> (Oh and for anyone wondering, I have a chest x-ray in about a weeks time to find out what is wrong with me but on the bright side, the concoction of medication I'm taking does seem to be working a little! So yay!)
> 
> I'll try to get a new chapter of Bitter Hug up soon and should anyone have any ideas of what they'd like to see in this mini collection, let me know and I'll see what I can do! :D


End file.
